India, US sign 10-year pact to deepen defence ties

Amid efforts to mend trade relations, India and the US on Friday signed a 10-year defence framework to provide a broader vision and policy direction to deepen bilateral cooperation.

The document, ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’, was signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Summit in Malaysia.

“Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart in Kuala Lumpur. Defence will remain the major pillar of our bilateral relationship,” Rajnath posted on X.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said the two leaders “appreciated the continuing momentum in bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to further build upon the mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars”.

They reviewed the ongoing defence issues and the challenges that persisted, and deliberated upon the ongoing defence industry and technology collaborations.

“Both leaders agreed to work together to address the challenges… Hegseth reiterated that India is a priority country for the US in defence cooperation and they are committed to working closely with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement said.

Rajnath said the defence framework was a signal of growing strategic convergence between the two sides and would herald a new decade of partnership. "Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” he said. India and the US first signed a 10-year defence framework in 2005 and the second in 2015.

“We are enhancing our coordination, information-sharing and tech cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger," Hegseth posted on X.